Hay-rack



(No Model.)

F. E. BENSON.

HAY RACK.

No. 554,904. Patented Feb-18,` 1896.

A TTOHNEYS.

UNITED l STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FINLEY E. BENSON, OF LAKE PARK, IOVA.

HAY-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,904, dated February 18, 1896.

Application filed March 5, 1895. Serial N0. 540,635. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FINLEY E. BENsoN, of Lake Park, in the county of Dickinson and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hay-Racks, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention is an improved storm hayrack; and the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangements of parts, as Will be hereinafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved rack. Figs, 2 and 3 are detail vertical sections illustrating the application of the clasps and clamps. Fig. Liis a detail perspective view of'one of the joints or crossings. Figs. 5 and 6 showrespectively the upper and lower clasp-plates in detail, and Fig. 7 shows one of the clamps in detail.

The longitudinal bed-beams A are drawn toward each other at their front ends, so a wagon can turn shorter, and to these beams A are secured the upper cross-beams, B, the intermediate lower cross-bea1ns, C, and the end lower cross-beams, D. These end crossbeams, D, are short and do not extend beyond the beam A, but as they are secured to said beams similarly to the intermediate crossbeams, C, the description of the connecting device for uniting the beams A to one pair of Tipper and lower cross-beams will answer for all.

At both sides about midway between its ends the rack is formed with lateral openings at H and with step-boards hdropped and supported on the lower cross-pieces between the front and hind wheels. This dropped portion extends about one-third the length of the rack, tends to make the load ride steadier, gives more capacity, and being brought to the outside makes it easier to enter the rack.

At its corners and at intervals along its sides I provide the rack with uprights, the upright I at the corners being simply secured to the upper end cross-bars, while the uprights J at opposite sides of openings I-I are secured to both the upper and lower crossbeams, such construction not only affording a firmer support for the said uprights J, but also serving to brace and give rigidity to the entire frame. Stay-rods K extend diagonally between the adjacent uprights I and J, connecting with the former near their upper ends and with the latter near their lower ends, as shown. Strut-rods L also extend from the uprights I diagonally downward and inward and connect with the upper cross-beams at the opposite ends of the rack.

Twisted wire or stringers M extend along the sides and ends of the rack between the posts and form a fence-like barrier around the base of the load and project up alongside the same, serving to firmly and rigidly secure the base of the load from movement. These stringers M are separate and independent, so that the breakage or displacement of one does not affect the others and so when one is broken it may be conveniently replaced.

Between the beams A and the beams B, wherever they cross, I provide a clasp F. constructed as most clearly shown in Fig. 5 and arranged with respect to said beamsand the clamp as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. These clasps E are formed with a main plate E', having central spurs e projecting up and down and entering the under side of beams B and upper sides of beams A. At one corner the clasp E has an eye or opening for the clampbolt. Its edges e meeting at such corner may be free of projections, as shown, while its other two sides are provided with stop proj ections cz, on one side projecting up and those on the other side down and arranged to lap alongside the upper and lower crossed beams, as shown. These stop projections are formed with narrow horizontal portions l connecting their upright portions 2 with the main plate E, and the upright plates are preferably beveled or sloped, as shown, such construction facilitating the pointed formation of the uprights and also decreasing the tendency to direct water to the plate E. The horizontal connecting portions l also decrease the tendency to retain water and facilitate the proper drying out of the parts.

It is preferred in practice to bend the points of the upright and force the same laterally into the sides of the beams.

The lower clasp-plate F has the spur f projecting in one direction and has at one edge an eye or opening f for the clamp and is provided at its opposite ends with stop projections f2, having horizontal and vertical portions formed substantially like the corre- IOO spending portions of the stop projections of the clasp E.

It will be seen that the stop projections of each claspplate operate to hold the beams from any outward or spreading displacement, and the prong-like portions projecting at the points of such projections into the sides of the beams increase the strength and solidity of the joints.

The clamp G is preferably in the nature of a bolt having a shank extending down past the upper and cross beams, through the eyes of the upper and lower clasps, through the lower beam and secured bya nut or in other suitable manner, the upper end of the bolt being bent into hook form and engaging over the upper beam.

The lower clasp-plates F particularly at the ends of the rack operate by their upright edge portion to brace the lower edges of the longitudinal beams against outward movement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the crossed beams, a clasp-plate arranged between the same and provided at one side of the beam or beams with an eye or opening for the clamp and having at the opposite side of the beam an upright portion or flange, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the crossed beams, a clasp-plate between said beams and having spurs entering both the upper and lower ones of said crossed beams, and provided with edge upright-s or flanges lapping alongside the beams and having alongside the beams an eye or opening for the clamp and the clamp passed through said eye or opening substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with crossed beams of a clasp-plate provided at its edge or edges with laterally-projected connecting portions having upright portions or flanges at their outer end substantially as set forth.

1. The combination with beams crossing cach other at an angle of a clasp-plate between said beams having upright portions or flanges projecting in opposite directions along the same, and having alongside the beams an eye or opening for the clamp, and the clamp, substantially as set forth.

5. The crossed beams, the clasp fitted between the same and having at its outer edge an upwardly-projectingportion or flange lapped alongside the longitudinal beam and having at a point close to the inner side of said beam an eye or opening for the clamp and the clamp engaging the longitudinal beam and passed down through the eye of the clasp and through the cross-beam all substantially as set forth.

6. A clasp-plate having at one corner an eye or opening having the edges meeting at such corner free of projections and having the other two edges provided with reverselyprojected flanges or uprights, substantially as set forth.

7. The clasp-plate herein described having at one corner an eye or opening, the two edges meeting at such corner being free of projections having the other two edges provided with reversely-projeeted portions or uprights connected with the plate by separate connecting portions, substantially as set forth.

8. In a hay-rack the combination of the longitudinal beams, the upper cross-beams, the lower cross-beams, the clasps arranged between said longitudinal and cross beams and having spurs or projections engaging the same, the clamps securing said beams together, the end uprights secured to the upper end cross-beams the intermediate uprights secured to both the upper and lower crossbeams and the stru t-braces all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. Ahay-rack composed of the longitudinal beams, the upper cross-beams, the lower end beams, the intermediate cross-beams, the end uprights secured to the upper end erossbeams the intermediate uprights secured te both the upper and lower intermediate crossbeams; and the strands extending between said uprights substantially as set forth.

10. The combination in a hay-rack of the longitudinal beams the upper and lower crossbeams the end uprights the intermediate uprights secured to both the upper and lower cross-beams the strands connecting said uprights and the strut-braces extending laterally and longitudin. lly from the end uprghts substantially as set forth.

FINLEY E. l-EENSOIT. lVitnesses J. T. BENSON, IRA L. BREFFLE. 

